


Nálada

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8409022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Hikaru’s gone swimming.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

It’s quiet this time of night, or at least, this simulated night, made to imitate the way things would be on Earth. The _Enterprise_ is mainly a Terran ship, and the entire ceiling is awash with a projected star field, full of the same constellations that Hikaru saw from the academy. The pool’s internally lit along the bottom, but Hikaru’s kept the setting low, and the stars reflect off the clear blue water. He likes to come here when the bulk of the crew is asleep, when his own shift is finally over, and when he can see it like _this_ : an ethereal liquid sky that he can swim through.

He’s only doing laps, but the scenery still soaks in. It’s not as fun as fencing, but it’s more magical. He’s only been coming a few nights but thinks he’ll keep the habit—there’s little point of being a lieutenant with free time on the greatest starship ever built if he doesn’t utilize the best facilities. He makes his way to one side, comes up for proper air and turns, then kicks off the smooth siding and swims for the far end at a steady pace. The water’s lukewarm and otherwise still: perfect conditions.

Most of his ears are filled with water, but he still makes out the sound of the door to the changing rooms sliding open. So much for the peaceful quiet of an empty pool. He finishes his lap anyway, reaching the wall just short of the ladder, and surfaces again to shake out his hair. It plasters around his face and drips into his eyes, so Hikaru has to wipe them off with one equally wet hand to see who’s coming.

He should’ve known. Pavel, still in full uniform, walks right up to the edge to look down at him, grinning as he muses, “So this is where you hawe been getting off to.” He crosses his arms across his chest, his tone suggesting trouble but his smile taking it away. Hikaru gives a guilty shrug anyway.

Because he can’t resist teasing his too-cute-for-words boyfriend, he asks, “Did you think I was with someone else?”

Pavel wrinkles his nose and sticks out his tongue at the bad joke. It’s obviously a joke. There’s no one on the ship Hikaru would rather have, and Pavel knows that. But he also has to keep in shape for that model-esque boyfriend, and Pavel’s spent the last few nights pulling extra half-shifts in Engineering anyway.

Now he huffs and lifts his arms to pull the new red shirt away, giving Hikaru a subtle, unreasonable pang of relief. Everyone knows the reputation red shirts have, and Pavel’s _supposed_ to be in gold: it’s something they share. He strips the black undershirt off afterwards and kicks out of his boots, then starts on his pants. 

And Hikaru stays there, treading water, unabashedly staring at each new patch of creamy Russian skin that’s revealed to him. Pavel’s lit with a pale glow from both the stars and water, the darkened lighting painting the picture softer. It’s intimate and alluring, made all the more tempting as Pavel discards his clothes. He leaves his boxers on but steps out of the rest, and Hikaru decides to be a brat and pull tighter against the edge, so he can twist his head around and peer up one leg.

Pavel sticks out his tongue and steps back, then leaps right over Hikaru’s head, cannonball-ing into the water at full force. Hikaru’s hit full blast, not smart enough not to look. He’s left spluttering as the disturbed waves lap unsteadily from his chest to shoulders, his hair back in his eyes again.

Pavel surfaces with a mermaid-like toss of his honey curls and a wicked grin on his pink lips. Hikaru can’t decide if he looks like an angel or a water demon. He’d make a good siren, even if his singing leaves much to be desired and his song choices are always too patriotic for Hikaru’s tastes. Hikaru would probably still follow him down to the bottom of the ocean, never to come up again. 

Combing his own hair out of the way and brushing off the droplets clinging to his brow, Pavel wades closer, close enough to _touch_ , and leans in to press his pretty mouth to Hikaru’s. Hikaru leans back instantly—if he’d known Pavel was off tonight, he would’ve stayed in their quarters.

The pool is lovely, but _Pavel_ is everything. He turns this far more enchanting than it was. When Pavel pulls away again, Hikaru tries to follow, but Pavel wades back with an impish look. Hikaru doesn’t follow just yet—he wants to take it all in, and does, every dripping line of Pavel’s Slavic features, every drop along his trim shoulders, every fleck in his bright eyes. Hikaru feels like he can see all the stars reflected in them but knows that’s just the romantic in him talking. He loves Pavel wet, loves Pavel under the stars, loves all of it together. When it’s clear that Hikaru’s too temporarily moonstruck to play tag, Pavel switches tactics, tilting his head to ask curiously, “Why didn’t you tell me you hawe been coming here?”

That’s easy. _This_ is why. Hikaru explains, “Because you’re hot enough when you’re dry, never mind like this, and I didn’t want to get caught having sex in the pool.”

Pavel tosses his head back to laugh. Hikaru uses the opportunity to come closer, and this time he finds Pavel’s waist underwater, places an eager hand on Pavel’s hip and traces up, while Pavel keeps both arms swimming. Hikaru goes in for another kiss that Pavel returns, though it’s kept too chaste.

Pavel pushes back afterwards, slipping out of Hikaru’s grip, and purrs, “And now you might, but only if you can beat me in a race.” He winks, and then he’s off, turning and diving into action with enough force to splash Hikaru in the face again. 

Hikaru reels back, spluttering, then play-groans and hurries to follow.


End file.
